Defoe Spurs a Liverpool January move...

Which striker is on Rodgers’ Jan shopping list?

PublishedMonday, September 17, 2012

Reading FC's Latvian defender Kaspars Gorkss (R) falls next to Tottenham Hotspurs' English forward Jermain Defoe during the English Premier League football match between Reading and Tottenham Hotspurs at The Madejski Stadium, in Reading on September 16, 2012. (AFP)

Liverpool will move to buy a proven striker in the January transfer window. Or, will they?

A day after Captain Steven Gerrard pleaded for patience, midfielder Jonjo Shelvey, admittedly a more effective player than Gerrard in these opening four games, has drawn on the siege mentality currently engulfing Anfield to take heart from the 1-1 draw against Sunderland.

As Tottenham Hotspur registered their first win and pulled clear of the bottom of the table, Liverpool face Manchester United next.

This means, ‘You Will Never Walk Alone’ could well be replaced by ‘Wake Me Up When September Ends’ on the Kop.

Come October, it is more than likely that Liverpool will be winless. And in the bottom three.

Which leaves Brendan Rodgers’ tiki-taka revolution with the task of lifting the club to at least mid-table by December and then in January making his move.

The question is, which striker will he move for?

Marouanne Fellaini is all but certain to be on the block, but another attacking midfielder may not be up Rodgers’ street. Not with Joe Allen and Steven Gerrard there.

This brings us to the one striker in England who is not injured, plays for club and country and has never looked more threatening in his entire career.

Jermain Defoe scored twice as Tottenham eased to their first victory under Andre Villas-Boas over Reading.

Gareth Bale scored a third, while Reading did pull one back at the death.

Defoe has speed, power, strength and can operate as a point man up front, leaving Luis Suarez to float in and out of defences.

Defoe has never really been a Spurs’ first choice as manager have come and gone, chopped and changed and Spurs have ebbed and waned.

Even now, with England and under AVB, Defoe carries the burden of being a ‘go-to’ man when all other striking options are not available.

Yes he will always be in the first team, but mostly on the bench.

After the game the England striker said: “Hopefully, everyone who has been doubting us will now look and think we will do well this season and kick on from here.

“But to score twice and help my team win is fantastic. The main thing is we have the three points and our season starts now.”

What Liverpool lack is the penetrative finishing and goal-scoring threat that a striker like Defoe brings.

Come January, depending on where Defoe is in AVB’s pecking order, Rodgers might do well to keep the striker on his short-list.

Will Defoe want to move to a club that is only mid-table high?

There is the great courage and tradition and heritage that defines Liverpool Football Club.

It inspired Andy Carroll to cut short his promising Newcastle stay. It might just draw Defoe in.